Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
hydrocat

Roots turning brown

hydrocat
9 years ago

Hi,

Newbie here.

I built an DIY PVC pipe ebb and flow system and added some celery plants to it. Everything went well, lots of new root growth and plants were doing well.

In fact they were doing so well that the system started overflowing last week because of the roots are getting too big and clogging the 3 inch pipe.

So I revised my plan and got a big rubbermaid storage container (54gal). I drilled holes for the net pots to the lid, added a air pump (7.8gal/minute) and an air stone (4 inch diameter). I moved the plants to this system and the next day all the roots touching the water are turning darker. I wouldn't call them brown yet but they're definitely not white like they used to be.

I used tap water both times. The plants look fine still and I think the roots are looking a bit better (or at least not worse) today.

PH values are within normal range.

I have searched this forum and the general consensus seems to be that usually the issue is the aeration. I know the container is a bit big.. so should i be adding a second air stone to it? I haven't found numbers as far as how much air should I be pumping into the water. Does anyone have a ballpark number?

Comments (6)

Sponsored
Grow Landscapes
Average rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars8 Reviews
Planning Your Outdoor Space in Loundon County?